about us
We’re a disruptive army of young people fighting to elect Progressives and bend the establishment to the will of the people.
Solomon
Solomon Rajput is a 28-year-old medical student who took a leave of absence to run for US Congress because he was #DoneWaiting on our politicians to act.
He ran as a Progressive for US Congress in Michigan's 12th Congressional District. Done Waiting emerged as the natural successor of the campaign. Now, Solomon is the Chair of Done Waiting, and he is continuing to fight for Progressive values across our country.
His top 5 policies are:
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A Green New Deal
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Making College Free and Eliminating Student Debt
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Medicare for All
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Getting Corporate Money out of Politics
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Racial Justice-- Black Lives Matter
our promise
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We promise never to refuse to endorse a candidate solely based on who their opponent is. We will not ignore progressives in tough races against powerful people -- many times these are the most important races to be won. If a candidate reflects Done Waiting’s values, has a shot in their race, and goes through our endorsement process, we will do everything in our power to support you until you reach Capitol Hill.
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We promise that we will publicly rescind our endorsement if we see that a candidate we previously endorsed has broken the Done Waiting Progressive Solidarity Pledge.
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We promise to only endorse candidates who seek to advance the movement as a whole, and who have demonstrated an immovable commitment to all of Done Waiting’s core values. We will also refuse to endorse people who consistently back establishment candidates over progressive challengers.
WHAT IS DONE WAITING?
Done Waiting is a disruptive army of young people fighting to elect Progressives and bend the establishment to the will of the people.
We are an entirely volunteer-run organization and we are using our immense people power to endorse progressive candidates across the country. We will help them win by making hundreds of thousands of calls for them. We will also use our army to pressure centrist politicians so they start valuing basic human rights over the will of corporations and the elite.
We are using our working class platform to educate the youth on the untold people’s history rather than the narrative pushed by the ruling class, and we advocate for candidates and policies that defend the interests of ordinary people.
We are sick and tired of being told to wait for changes that are long overdue. We are Done Waiting.
Here are our top five polices:
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Green New Deal
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Racial Justice
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Medicare for All
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Debt Free College
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No Corporate Money in Politics
Our Story
On August 4th, 2020 we lost a battle, but not the war.
Solomon Rajput for U.S Congress, a scrappy grassroots campaign, was founded on the radical belief that all people deserve basic human rights. Right away, our working class platform and innovative outreach inspired young activists across the country and the campaign swelled into an army of 400 young leftists and progressives volunteering 8-15 hours every week. This unprecedented army was the largest ever seen for a congressional challenger in a primary, and though we fell short of swinging Michigan’s 12th District away from an entrenched corporate incumbent, we vow that this once-in-a-lifetime movement we created will only be the beginning.
Because when a campaign becomes a movement, we truly cannot lose.
How can hundreds of young people making hundreds of thousands of calls and sending hundreds of thousands of texts be viewed as a failure? The only failure would be to disband such a passionate group of activists and organizers united in fighting for progressive values. Once the passionate activists on Solomon Rajput for U.S. Congress decided they were Done Waiting on real change and political courage, they quickly promised to never go back to supporting the harmful status quo. Within a week of the 2020 primary election, they held a campaign wide call and started organizing what will be a huge, disruptive grassroots army of young people dedicated to defending the interests of ordinary people and enacting urgent systemic change.
It was Civil Rights Leader Fannie Lou Hammer who said “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired”.
We are sick and tired of being told there is an expiration date for our ideas, when the only expiration date we should be worried about is the one that comes with catastrophic climate change. We are sick and tired of being told that things simply cannot change and the status quo is good enough for us, when people are dying from preventable diseases like poverty and police brutality. We are sick and tired of billionaires quickly becoming trillionaires by squashing our already inadequate standard of living, and we are sick and tired of corporate politicians selling out their values and their constituents for campaign donations and a shallow career.
That’s why we are proud to introduce Done Waiting.
Done Waiting is a disruptive grassroots army that focuses its unprecedented people power to elect Progressives and bend the establishment to the will of the people. We are an entirely volunteer-run organization and we are quickly building manpower consisting of hundreds of youth activists fighting to have our voices heard. We are not only committed to making hundreds of thousands of calls for progressive candidates who receive our endorsement, but we also plan on using our manpower to pressure centrist legislators to support progressive policies. As organizers, our most valuable resources are our people and our compelling message. Done Waiting is mobilizing an army of young, energized, passionate, and bold progressives and leftists eager to canvass, send texts, call voters, and fight the uphill battles of winning elections and advocating for deep systemic change. The fight to make democracy work for us is way bigger than one election or one battle. We are Done Waiting and we hope you will join us.
Sincerely,
the movement
Our TEAM
Akshita Verma
She/Her
Vice Chair
Hi! I’m a 26-year-old Michigander, intersectional feminist, grassroots organizer, and Co-Founder and Vice-Chair of Done Waiting. I believe that all people deserve basic human rights like housing, food, water, and healthcare, without having to worry about how they are going to pay for it. The sad fact is that, in our country, the establishment and the elite have convinced many that basic human rights are a radical idea. But what if we can change that? What if we can create an unprecedented people powered movement that is adaptable and efficient, and harnesses our labor with laser-like focus to topple institutionalized harm?
Vik Mehan
He/Him
National Field Director
I am exceptionally passionate about Done Waiting because, in my experience, many of the maladies that afflict our people are the results of systemic inequalities which have remained intransigent and unmoving, and I know we need real progressive leadership that will finally overhaul and reform our institutions. I think that this organization has the potential to help instate the change we need. Some of the biggest things I am done waiting for are racial and economic justice, and Medicare for All.
Sara Desvergunat
She/Her
Social Media Director
I am working for Done Waiting because I personally want to be part and take a hand in the change this country so desperately needs. The issues most pressing in this country personally affect me as well as my friends and family and they will certainly affect my future. I am done waiting for racial and economic equity in the form of exhaustive police reform, Medicare for all, and a green New Deal. Being a part of done waiting is one way I can make a difference in this country. I get to make change while building relationships and making connections with other progressive youth. There is nothing better than enacting change with you friends!
Emma Sherman-Hawver
She/Her
Deputy National Field Director & Finance Director
I joined Done Waiting because of the potential I believe it has to change politics in this country. We are centering politics back with the people, not money. For too long, politicians have ignored the issues of systematic inequality. As a political science student, I am incredibly interested in using the information we have about how elections work to make progressive change. I am proud to be part of an organization paving the way for young people to get involved in politics. Lastly, the model Done Waiting uses is innovative and unlike anything the political world has seen before, making it exciting to be involved.
Rachel Fagan
She/Her
National Policy Director
My name is Rachel Fagan and I am currently a junior at the University of Michigan, studying political science and international studies, and I have the position of national policy director. I joined done waiting because I believe it is extremely important to meaningfully fight for the change you want to see. I also joined because after working on several campaigns, I realized that often times big endorsement organizations do not provide much help to candidates other than a public announcement. This is why I love the model of done waiting because we are not only endorsing but actively participating -- we are seeking out and supporting true progressives who will work hard to get sweeping climate, health care, higher education, campaign finance, and racial justice legislation passed.
Johanna Moncy
She/Her
National Human Resources Director
Hi! I’m Johanna and I’m a 17 year old from Florida! I started on Solomon’s campaign in April of 2020 because I am extremely passionate about environmental policy and Medicare for all. I love what we do here at Done Waiting! We do not compromise on our values and make political work accessible to people of all ages. As Human Resource Director, I am committed to making a comfortable and communicative environment for all the people in Done Waiting. This organization has made such a strong community that does incredible work for progressive causes.
Newt Kelbey
They/Them
Graphics Co-Director
There's a lot to be said about the merits of Done Waiting's mission and policies, and I joined to help be part of the progress that needs to happen in this country. I am especially interested in our Medicare for All and Green New Deal policies, because I believe everyone has a right to be cared for and live in safe conditions. I am also constantly overwhelmed at the amazing power we collectively possess, and I can't wait to see how that evolves as we grow.
Colvin Larance
He/Him
National Operations Director
I joined Done Waiting for a number of reasons. First, our revolutionary model has allowed me to build relationships with passionate people across the country that show up day after day to make this nation better for all. Second, I was tired of watching other progressive advocacy organizations capitulate to the political establishment and settle for incrementalism during a time of existential crises. I am Done Waiting for universal healthcare and bold climate policy. Both will lift up marginalized communities and ensure a healthy existence for future generations.
Tony DiMeglio
He/Him
Assistant Social Media Director
I am a university student from Michigan, serving as the National Graphics Director for Done Waiting. After seeing how electoral politics is conducted in America, I knew I needed to get involved. I have been apart of various campaigns and political organizations to work towards making a difference; to help enact real change that this country so desperately needs. I am done waiting for our elected leaders to actually fight for the future of the American people.
Alex Dumont
He/Him
National Communications Director
As Communications Director, I am responsible for facilitating Done Waiting’s contact and messaging with the press and general public. I joined Done Waiting because I believe that we desperately need to address the climate crisis.
Alec Schlotterback
He/Him
Reddit Director
I joined Done Waiting because I was sick of feeling helpless while watching everything that has happened in 2020. I was sick of watching the rich and powerful play games with each other while offering nothing but performances and platitudes to average people. I want to see a government that works for the people. I want to see a healthcare system that doesn’t leave people in never-ending debt. I want to see the same for the education system. I want to see the Green New Deal get passed so we can actually really try and fight climate change. I want to see a system that is built to work for those that need assistance, not the most rich and powerful people in the country.
Emma Fagan
She/Her
National Strategic Relations Director
I joined Done Waiting because I found myself increasingly enraged (and terrified) about who holds the power in this "democracy". I wanted to be involved with an organization that centers working people and mobilizes groups to fight for massive policy changes. I'm completely invested in all of the focuses of Done Waiting, and I want to see a Green New Deal passed in the next few years. Issues like voter suppression, universal healthcare, and getting corporate money out of politics are also very important to me.
Grey Weinstein
He/Him or They/Them
National Onboarding Director
I’m part of the Done Waiting team because I want to see my values- justice, equity, etc- enacted in our policy. By working to build an organization that supports and elects progressives, I believe that myself and other young people can exercise power within our electoral system and materialize the change we want together. I want to see Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and abolition of the prison industrial complex accomplished by our national government. The time for sitting idle on the sidelines is over. It's time to get involved.
Claire Nelson
She/Her
Instagram Director
I joined Done Waiting because I believe this organization will profoundly better America. Done Waiting champions bold solutions to our country’s greatest issues. I am captivated by this organization’s vision of a world in which the rapidly changing climate is properly addressed, Black people are treated with justice, students graduate debt free, healthcare is universal, and corporations don’t corrode our political system. In the future, I hope this organization succeeds in making that vision a reality.
Athena Le
She/Her
National Social Media Recruitment Director
At first, I was interested in Done Waiting because of its progressive mission. But what really made me want to join was its accessible and accepting culture. Politicians tend to hide behind needlessly complicated terms so they can seem smarter or more professional – or so they can gatekeep political participation. I believe that our movement will create unprecedented change by creating an accessible campaign that empowers any and every passionate young person who wants to get involved in politics.
Naysa Abraham
They/She
Graphics Co-Director
I joined Done Waiting because I was tired of watching elected officials abandon the needs of their constituents in exchange for corporate money. Real change needs to be made and that starts with holding our congresspeople to a high standard of accountability so that they push for progressive policies such as Medicare for All, College For All, Green New Deal, and policies that promote equity to all marginalized groups in the US. We are here with a burning passion to make this country a suitable one for all and are done waiting to see real change enacted.